IT COULDN'T be against anybody else. 

When Sam Docherty made his return to football last weekend, a few weeks earlier than initially expected, commentary centred around the recovery and commitment of someone who has made a name for defying the odds.

However, you could just about guarantee that once getting through his return, Docherty had one eye on 150, which just so happened to be against his former team in the Brisbane Lions.

If our maths serves us correctly, we've got it on good authority that 15 multiplied by 10 equals 150. So, it would be rude not to look back on 10 defining moments in the career of Carlton's No.15 which is full of them.

1. Drafted to Brisbane

The when and where of the journey beginning. It’s quite fitting that Sam Docherty’s 150th game will come against the Brisbane Lions, given it’s where he started his career under Michael Voss. The first player drafted from Phillip Island, Docherty - who was barely on draft radars to start the year - was on a Bali beach when he was selected with pick No.12 to the Lions back in 2011.

2. Crossing to Carlton

After two years and 13 games at Brisbane, Docherty’s wish to return to his home of Victoria was granted when he was traded to his boyhood club of Carlton. Some of Docherty’s earliest football memories (that weren’t related to the Phillip Island Bulldogs) centred around getting the minibus from Phillip Island to the MCG with dad Eddie to watch the Blues in action. Come the end of 2013, Docherty was back in the colours of his childhood.

3. Debuting in Navy Blue

We can only imagine the thrill of debuting for Carlton, let alone doing so in a clash with the old enemy. However, that was exactly the case for Docherty on Friday 2 May 2014, who was a late inclusion alongside Tom Bell to replace Andrew Carrazzo and Jarrad Waite. Despite Carlton falling by 34 points to Collingwood in front of nearly 70,000 people, the 20-year-old was a shining light on his club debut, with Mick Malthouse saying in his post-match press conference “Sam Docherty showed tonight that he can play footy”.

4. John Nicholls Medallist

From that Carlton debut, Docherty was an ever-present in the Blues’ line-up throughout his first few years. He played every game for the rest of 2014, all bar three in 2015 and then every game under new coach Brendon Bolton in 2016. Partnering former-idol-turned-teammate Kade Simpson across half-back, Docherty soon became the heartbeat of the Carlton team, winning the John Nicholls Medal in 2016 as the team’s best-and-fairest player, narrowly ahead of Simpson and reigning club champion Patrick Cripps.

5. All-Australian honours

Just 12 months later, Docherty’s form line was acknowledged by the wider competition. Narrowly pipped from back-to-back John Nicholls Medals by captain Marc Murphy, Docherty was named among the best of the best when he achieved his first All-Australian selection in 2017. Becoming Carlton’s first All Australian in six years, Docherty once again played every game in the 2017 campaign, winning the David Parkin Medal as the best afield in the Blues’ drought-breaking win over the Hawks.

6. Carlton co-captain

It was in January 2018 when, after two seasons in the Club’s leadership group, Docherty and Cripps were elevated to co-vice captains. Fast forward to less than nine months later, the duo were named as the first AFL co-captains in Carlton’s history, when Murphy handed over the reins on John Nicholls Medal night in 2018 — they would share the role for the next three seasons. It was in 2020 when Docherty would dedicate his time as captain to his late father, saying “winning the Blues’ best and fairest and becoming a club captain has meant so much to me because it means my surname is etched in Carlton history. That means his legacy is etched to it as well, and it always will be”.

7. The return, part one

In Docherty’s run of form between 2016 and 2017, he played 44 consecutive games which yielded the aforementioned John Nicholls Medal and All-Australian selection. However, Round 23 of 2017 would regrettably prove to be Docherty’s last game for over two years. Two consecutive ACL injuries sustained early in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 pre-seasons put Docherty on the sidelines, coaching from the bench but not able to be doing what he loved. It was some 936 days later when Docherty made a mightily impressive return from the longest of layoffs: unfortunately, it was in front of no crowd, with Carlton’s clash with Richmond the first AFL game to take place in front of an empty stadium during the pandemic.

8. Doing it for Doc

In November 2020, it was announced that Docherty had undergone surgery on a malignant testicular tumour. In August 2021, however, Docherty informed his teammates that he would undergo chemotherapy followed a secondary occurrence of testicular cancer. The response from not only his teammates, but the Carlton and wider football community, was immediate. Just two months later, every one of Docherty’s teammates - plus countless Carlton supporters across the country - shaved their heads, ‘Doing it for Doc’ in the process. A Patrick Cripps-led drive which initially saw the Blues want to raise $5,000 ultimately saw over $200,000 raised for the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

9. The return, part two

In the history of the Carlton Football Club, there have been a number of ‘Where were you when?’ moments. While those have generally been related to team success, the one on Thursday 17 March 2022 was about one individual. Making a remarkable return from chemotherapy to feature in the Blues’ season opener (a feat not even Docherty truly believed he would achieve), there was barely a dry eye in the house when, in front of over 70,000 people, Docherty marked his comeback to football with the most emotional of goals. The celebration was indicative of the emotion in the stadium as the Blues surged for a famous, drought-breaking win over the Tigers.

10. Whatever’s next

For someone who has defied the odds for the entirety of his career, who would be brave enough to put a limit on what Docherty could still achieve? The man himself admitted during the week that there were clearly times throughout his journey that he thought such a milestone wouldn’t come. Now re-signed to the club until the end of 2025 and on the verge of running out with baby daughter Ruby in his arms for his 150th, there’s no doubt the inspirational Blue will leave no stone unturned to finish his story in the most fitting fashion.